Tapering is a term used in swimming that basically means you’re ending your season soon and your workouts consist of less and less yards and more rest in between sets. The tapering I have experienced the past four years begins two weeks before my last meet.
In the first week, morning practices are cut out. The coach does this so we don’t have to wake up so early and are able to catch back up on our rest. Next, our two and a half hour practices in the afternoon start becoming shorter to about 1 and a half hours by the end of the first week. In the entire first week, we work on a lot of drills and techniques to really perfect our strokes.
The second and final week is centered on rest. Our practices go from an hour and a half long to somewhere between a half hour and an hour. During our sets, the coach puts in plenty of resting spots for us so that we are able to catch our breath and give as much effort on each yard as the first one. During this second week we work a lot on short sprints and smooth swimming. Also in the second week, the coach tells us to stay off of our feet as much as possible to make sure we are giving our bodies the maximum rest we can.
By the time the last meet comes around, we are well rested, stronger, and more prepared than ever. Generally the very last meet of any swimmer’s season is where they accomplish their best times.
I don’t know if tapering is used in college swimming but it is used in high school swimming. The duration of tapering depends upon the coaches’ preferences.
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